Market Information for Buyers and Sellers of Toronto area real estate

Monthly Archives: May 2015

The Toronto Real Estate Board reported 11,303 real estate sales in April 2015. This was the highest sales result on record for the month of April and represented a 17 per cent increase in comparison to April, 2014. While sales increased strongly on a year over year basis, new MLS listings were up over the same period by a more modest five per cent.

Record Real Estate Sales

The record results for real estate sales in April clearly illustrate that a burgeoning number of Toronto area families view home ownership as a priority, high quality long-term investment. This is evidenced by the strong sales growth experienced here in Toronto and the surrounding regions for all major types of housing. First time buyers and existing homeowners remain very active in today’s market.
The overall average selling price, which is a total combined number for all real estate sale for all types of homes reported sold by Toronto area real estate agents in April 2015, was up by 10 per cent year over year to $635,932. The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) composite benchmark, which estimates the price of a benchmark home with the same attributes from one period to the next, was up by 8.4 per cent during the same timeframe. The fact that average price growth outpaced growth for the MLS® HPI Composite Benchmark, suggests that a greater share of higher priced homes changed hands this year compared to last.

Single Family Homes Strong

No matter which indicator used, price growth in the Greater Toronto Area was strongest for low-rise home types. However, the better supplied highrise condo segment remained healthy as well, with price growth above the rate of inflation. Demand for home ownership was extremely high compared with the number of homes available for sale in April.

Going Forward

The market is not expected to change much as we move through the balance of the year. Until there is a sustained period during which listings grow at a faster pace than sales, annual rates of housing price growth will remain robust.

MID-MONTH REAL ESTATE FIGURES RELEASED
TORONTO, May 19, 2015 – A 9.6 per cent year-over-year increase in home sales was reported by Greater Toronto Area realtors during the first 14 days of May. There were 5,655 sales reported in the first two weeks of May 2015 compared to 5,160 sales during the same period in May 2014. “It is clear that demand for ownership housing remains very strong in the GTA. So much so that, if the pace of sales experienced in the first half of this month is sustained in the second
half, we will see record home sales for the month of May.
The average selling price for transactions reported during the first 14 days of May was $652,782.00 for all home types combined – up by 10.7 per cent compared to the first two weeks of May 2014. The strongest price growth was experienced in the detached market segment, with the average price up by 13.8 per cent. “The low-rise market segments, including detached home sales, have been the driver of average price growth in the GTA this year. As market conditions have tightened, average price growth has remained very strong. However, while tighter market conditions have been a key
factor, so too has been a shift to higher priced homes. Detached sales growth in the City of Toronto, for example, has been strongest for high-end homes. The resulting change in the mix of homes sold has also been an important factor in pushing the average price higher,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Director of Market Analysis.